


Of Robots and Men

by Laylaisthename



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-06-07 06:00:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15212735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laylaisthename/pseuds/Laylaisthename
Summary: A small collection or short one-shots that don't really need to be their own thing.Each one will feature a short summary with relevant characters, though most are centered around Lucile, Alexandra and/or Ezekiel, mostly because 90% stem from my friend sending me idea's on discord.The title will probably change once I think of a better one. Suggestions are welcome.





	1. Birds of a Feather...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Promises -old and new- are put to the test when the Darkness arrives over the City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The audio recording takes place before/around the events of D1, while the rest takes place years after the events of D2.

_... will always find their way back to what is truly their home._

 

//START AUDIO RECORDING.../

[L] "Ezekiel."

 

[E] "Lucile, it's been quite some time. How have you been?"

 

[L] "...well, I guess."

 

[L] "..."

[E] "..."

 

[E] "I'm sorry about the whole ordeal with Osiris-"

[L] "Look, I shouldn't have lashed out against you like that-"

 

[Simultaneous laughter]

[E] "You first."

 

[L] "My anger for Osiris should not have been directed at you, little brother. I don't always handle my feelings well. I was wrong to act like I did, and I came to apologize."

 

[E] "There's nothing to apologize for. You- _we_ , both lost someone very dear."

 

[L] "But it's no excuse for how I treated you. So, I bring you this. Consider it a formal Hunter apology."

 

[E] "A cloak?"

 

[L] "A promise. The promise I will always be there when you need me. You are an important part of my life, Zeke. You are my family."

 

[E] "I will carry it with pride."

 

[L] "Speaking of family, tell me about you and that Hunter... what's-his-name."

 

[E] "Cayde? Oh, that all started with my dreams of the tower-"

 

//...END AUDIO RECORDING///

 

 

***

 

**_Years later_ **

 

Shadows cast over the City, sirens blare through the sound of the pouring rain and tension visibly rises among the general populace. It was hard not to draw a parallel between now and when Ghaul first arrived.

Lucy watches these triangular ships - not Reef-made, Reef ships were much more pointed - approach the Last City through the clouds, many smaller ships followed by one so massive in scope she couldn't see the top. The scrolls on the table around her scatter as she gets up in a flurry, rushing to the library window to see what was going on.

"What in the Traveler's fucking name is that?" Her Ghost appears beside her, his eye darting around as he too takes in the scene

"I don't... know. But I can feel it tugging on the Light" He responds.

"Zeke," she says to the Warlock behind her, "we have to get out there. Find Alex and Cayde, get to the ships."

She glances back to Ezekiel, who sits still stunned at the table. His expression is conflicted, like he wants to say something but can't quite find the words. Lucy stalks over to him, hovering by his side as he mumbles something ineligible.

"Ezekiel." She says again.

Blue eyes snap up at her, as if seeing her for the first time.

"Lucy, it's... I..." Almost calmly he gathers his scrolls and pushes his chair away from the table. Tzipporah appears in his open hand with a flourish, and with a rush of words she disappears to ready his ship to leave Earth. It is then that Lucy realizes that the expression her brother carries is not one of conflict, but rather a guilty façade. The whole notion of the thought was unfamiliar to her. Sure, Zeke had done things he later came to regret before but, never, not once in what was nearing to be a century, had she seen him act with guilt.

"Ezekiel?" At the sound of his name he is pulled from his thoughts again. For a moment he looks back at her,

"I..." he starts, and there she sees that guilt again, "Lucile, I have to leave." Before she has a chance to say anything he walks off

She thought that sadness would be the first emotion to set in, like when she first found out that Osiris had disappeared, but surprisingly -or perhaps, unsurprisingly so considering her past- it is anger that takes the forefront. Within moments she rushes out after Zeke, but is quickly caught up in the whirlwind around the Tower. Staff and civilians file off toward the shelters, Guardians go off in every direction to prepare for the assault. And she would have lost him in the crowd too, if it hadn't been for the purple and golden cloak fluttering behind him. Somehow seeing it made her even more angry. It was her promise to him that she had his back and now he does... this.

By the time she catches up to him, Zeke's already in the hangar, almost ready to leave from what Lucy can see. His Ghost dissipates out of his hand, presumably to go get his ship.

"Ezekiel!" She calls out. "Ezekiel-9 get back here!" He flinches slightly at the use of his full name, his fists clenched by his side. His ship is on its way over, her hand barely catching the cloak when he transmats away, leaving her with a scrap of cloth in her hands.

A few moments later her radio receives a hail from Zeke, and if it hadn't been for the promise she held she probably wouldn't have picked up at all.

"Lucile. It's... I,"

"You better have a good fucking reason for leaving, Zeke."

"I," he lets out a sigh, "Everything I am about to do is for the City. For the City, but also for Cayde and Ikora. And for you. I'm not leaving because I want to. As I said, it's because I have to do this, he's the best shot humanity has."

"He?" Lucy calls back angrily. Angry about his leaving, angry about the City not knowing how to stay safe for half a decade; angry at the tears that were welling in her eyes, "Who is _he_ Zeke, where are you going?"

"I... can't tell you. Lucy, they may brand me a deserter and traitor for this. I need someone in the City on my side. I need you to trust me."

She frowns, silent for a moment in thought.

"Lucile?"

And she recalls those days, so many years ago. The anger she felt when Osiris left without so much as a goodbye. The familial bond with Ezekiel that became of it. The cloak she gave to him, the promise that she would stand beside him, whatever may come. She looks down at the scrap of purple cloth in her hand.

"Yeah." She replies. "I gave you the cloak, didn't I? I intend to keep that promise." With that she deftly ties it around her left arm, it's color a stark contrast against the black, red and gold she wore.

Breathless laughter follows over the line. "Thank you, sister."

"I'll see you on the other side, brother." And the line shuts down.

Rain and thunder rumble just beyond the hangar's open gates, where the angular ships still hang menacingly on the horizon. Another radio call dials in, her HUD displays Alexandra's name just before her frantic voice carries over the comms.

"Lucy! Thank the stars. Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, love. I'm just getting my ship ready." She glances back at the sky a last time, where Zeke's ship has long since passed her line of sight and wipes whatever remains of her tears from her face.

"I'll see you soon." She says, to the Titan and Warlock in equal measure.


	2. Burdens of command

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year has passed since Cayde-6 found his untimely end in the distant Tangled Shore. Back in the City Lucile steps up to take on the mantle of Vanguard, but without her mentor's word to back her up, the choice is left to the new Speaker and his consensus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucile M. Paredes: A human Hunter mostly referred to as Lucy. Resurrected on Venus about 150 years ago in an Ishtar robotics lab, a few years before Six Fronts by her Ghost Milo. Used to be an apprentice of Osiris before his disappearance. 
> 
> Ezekiel-9: An Exo Warlock with Hunter tendencies who goes by Zeke. Chief Hidden agent and right-hand man to Ikora. His Ghost is called Tzipporah. Used to date Cayde before he was killed, and kept the cloak for himself. Sees Lucy as his sister, since they have been close for a long time.
> 
> Alexandra: Awoken Titan with a heart too big for her goddamn good. Loves her girlfriend Lucy so much. I also love her so much. Her Ghost's name is Nazar

He was doing these things on purpose she was sure of it.

Precious few people knew about her dealings with the Ahamkara, even fewer knew that she had been digging around her past and the amount of people that knew Lucy was a likely candidate for next Vanguard was 3, aside from the Consensus she was presenting to today. Lucile stands behind a dais, arms crossed behind her back, answering any and all questions the new Speaker threw at her. Across from her sat said Speaker and the Consensus, along with Zavala and Ikora. Though dressed in civilian clothes, a cloak lay resting on her shoulders still, a gift from Alexandra to whom she assured to be the next Hunter Vanguard. And Lucy was thankful for this present, as she could use every bit of strength for the closed-door hearing today.

"And what of your wishes from the Ahamkara, miss Paredes?" The Speaker asks. "If what we heard about it was true, it could pose a liability in the future. We do not need another Hunter Vanguard that will run away at the first call to adventure."

Instinctively her hands clench behind her back. _"They weren't supposed to know about this."_ Lucile takes a deep breath, and straightens her shoulders. "I won't deny my past, but I was younger then. I made my mistakes and learned and grew from them. Whatever my wishes were died with the Ahamkara when I put a bullet between its eyes. They won't pose a threat to the City." A half-truth. But whatever magic still lingered  was hers to deal with and hers alone.

"I'm afraid that this, taken in consideration along with your ties to Osiris, showings of disregard for the rules lain out to you as a Guardian and apparent dissent among the Hunters on your reputation, is going to take some time to discuss." There as an edge to the Speaker's voice she didn't appreciate. "We will send someone for you when we have reached a verdict. You are dismissed."

"Of course." With a small nod she turns to the doors and marches out. Opaque glass slides closed behind her and two guards take their place again. She barely has time to look around the hallway before Alexandra has already lifted her into a hug.

"I'm so proud of you Lucy!"

When her feet eventually touch the ground again she can't help be laugh. "They're still thinking it over. Some... unexpected things came up, so I'm not all that sure anymore."

"They'd be idiots not to take you." A kiss is planted on the Hunter's lips. "Do you need me to grab you something to eat?"

"I'll be fine," She replies, "the nerves took away most of my hunger." And then from the corner of her eye she spots something moving. Around the corner, further down the hallway, the tail-end of a cloak stuck out.

Lucy turns to Alex again. "Actually, I could really go for some falafel wraps. You know the ones?"

"Yeah, down by the residential district." Alex pulls out her Ghost. "Nazar, place an order with Muhammed for three wraps, pick-up."

"Done, and done!" He replies before shifting away.

She leans down for another kiss, that Lucy happily provides. "I'll be back in 20, alright?"

"I love you, you're the best." She watches Alexandra walk off to the elevators, standing in silence for a moment before turning toward the suspicious corner.

"Zeke, she's gone, you can come out now."

Very faintly she hears his Ghost, Tzipporah whisper. "We've been discovered. Abort! Abort!

"Ezekiel, I know it’s you, I can see your cloak." And with a tug it disappears around the corner. When after a moment Lucy still gets no reply she sighs, opting to walk over rather than wait out this weird stalemate the Exo was creating. Soft footsteps walk away from her, and she is not at all surprised when she spots Ezekiel, sneaking off like a third rate Nightstalker.

She decides not to beat around the bush too much. "They knew about my deals with the Ahamkara. And about my trips to the research facility on Venus." The Warlock stops in his tracks, still facing away from her.

"Ikora must've sent one of the other Hidden to collect intel on you." She can see the slight movement in his body as he takes a steadying breath. When he turns around none of the tension in his voice can be read on his face. "Since I'm close to you and all that could create a conflict of interest."

"Ezekiel," Lucy rarely used his full name, but sometimes a situation warranted the weight it carried, "there are three people that know about my promises to the Ahamkara. One of them has not left the Infinite Forest in a year and I definitely did not tell them myself."

"They must've overheard something you know how it is there are Hidden everywhere-"

" _Ezekiel._ " His rambling stops dead in its tracks. "You were never very good at lying to me. Now I had suspicions before today, but when the Speaker started asking me about what I was doing on Venus -something only _you_ knew I was doing- it all fell into place. Other candidates suddenly appearing, the rumors about me flying around- no one but you has the knowledge and resources to do it."

She takes the silence as her answer. Anger wells inside her for a moment before she lets it go. He wouldn't do this to hurt her, she knows that. But that still left her confused on his actual reasons.

"I just want to know why, Ezekiel. I thought you of all people would be excited to see this moment.”

And when she watches his fist clench around the fabric of his cloak -one that once belonged to her predecessor- it suddenly all makes a little more sense.

"I-" his voice cracks at the first word. "I need you to be safe.

"Oh, Zeke...

"We lost Andal to the Fallen and then the whole thing with-" and he stops, again taking a deep breath. It broke her heart to see him like this. "-with Cayde in the Reef and I can't- I don't want lose you too, Lucy. I can't watch another walk to their death."

She doesn't think twice walking up to him with open arms, enveloping her brother in a much needed hug.

"You can talk to me about these things, you know that right?"

"I knew I couldn't change your mind."

She releases the embrace, and lets out a little laugh. "True. But that doesn't mean I can't at least reassure you a little. I didn't choose to do this willy-nilly. It's been a year and we still haven't decided on a new Vanguard, so I stepped up."

"So let someone else take up the title! There are so many suitable Hunters other than you."

"No one else would or they'd have done it by now- believe it or not but I actually _want_ this."

"You want to be stuck in the Tower and deal with every little Hunter problem and every consensus meeting and every speech the Speaker is going to give?"

She gives him a soft smile and a determined look. "I do. Now c'mon give me another hug. Tears never were a very good look on you." Finally she gets what she was after; an emotional chuckle that meant he was accepting things as they were.

Lucy's Ghost flies up beside her: "They're calling for you. The Speaker wanted to ask some questions about your research."

Zeke slowly lets go. Together they walk toward the sliding doors. "Lucy. For what it's worth, I know you're going to do amazing."

"Thanks. When Alex gets back with the wraps, tell her to save me one. And take one for yourself too, you could use some comfort food."

Smoothly the opaque glass slides open, shutting quickly behind her. She steps toward the dais in the center with her head held high and her eyes on the City beyond the consensus. Through the large window everything on the south-side could be seen, the Tower a small spot in the distance. The smile on her lips is unmistakable and confident. Even if she wished for nothing more than to spend her time researching to her heart's content, she would do this for them. For the lost Hunters, for Alexandra (and the food she carried), for Ezekiel's worries, and Andal's guidance and Cayde's joker spirit that led him into any trouble he could find.

"You asked for me?"


	3. Golden Goose Chase

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It always seems so easy when te Hunters do it. Then again, they make everything look easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucile: A Human Hunter and preferred Gunslinger. Resurrected on Venus a few years before Six Fronts and not actually related to Zeke.
> 
> Ezekiel: An Exo Warlock that likes to do Hunter things from time to time. On all days except today a Stormcaller.  
> Tzipporah: Zeke's ever-cheery and talkative Ghost.

The Light in his hands form a dagger, already closer to his goal of summoning a Golden Gun than he was before, but still nowhere near close enough to fire any Light-bound bullets. He supposed this was progress on the exploding knife front. They were just outside the City wall, Tower side, practicing Light manipulation. Sunshot was a nice attempt at trying to see what it felt like being a Gunslinger, but fancy explosions only got you so far and Ezekiel would not rest until he could do it for himself. His sister calls out from her perch in the trees:

"Try again. Really imagine the gun in your hand, your finger resting beside the trigger."

"I've tried that eighteen times already, Lucy." He throws the dagger into the ground, where it dissolves in a small explosion of embers. "The Light is unique within each Guardian, right? So, it follows that this is not going to work for me the same way it did for you."

She thinks for a second, and then swings down with entirely too much flair, hooking her feet around the branch she was sitting on, falling backwards and landing effortlessly on her feet. Tzipporah appears beside him, a hologram above her head reading 9/10.

"Your execution was good but you need to keep your feet together during the landing." The Ghost chimes in.

Lucile dusts off her pants. "I am not open to any criticism. Let's go." And without waiting for Ezekiel to follow she marches west-ward, following the curve of the wall.

It doesn't take long for him to catch up again.

"Where are we going?"

She doesn't look back at him as she replies, though the ghost of a smile tugs at her lips. "You'll see soon enough."

It was a longer trek than he expected. Had Zeke known it would be so far, he would have ridden along on his sparrow. Every once in a while Lucile stops, climbs a tree to look around, before muttering something to herself.

Once the sun has almost started set, Lucy finally proclaims from atop a boulder: "This is it!"

"Alright," 'it' didn't look like much to Ezekiel, "now what?"

"Now look around and tell me what you see."

And so he does, listing off all the things as he spots them. "There's trees and other vegetation. The rock you stand on. And the wall behind us."

"Nothing gets past those eyes of yours, do they?" Lucy deadpans. "Think like a Hunter. Now what do you _see_?"

And he looks again, closer this time.

"The wall is slightly off colored here. It looks worn, but newer than the parts we just passed."

"Good. What else?"

"The trees are more sparse here. Smaller too. They're not as grown as the others around, despite that they are getting the same amount of sun."

"And what does this tell you?

While he still failed to understand how this would help him, he went along with Lucy's questions. "This was a battlefield long ago. One of the six fronts if I had to wager."

Lucy points to the side of the boulder she stands on. "Now come look at this and tell me what you see."

The scorch marks were visible on the stone as he approaches. The flat side of it was charred black, and the ground in a two-foot diameter half-circle around it seemed to grow larger than the ground around it. Something burned strongly here. Zeke looks back to the wall, gauging where the Guardians would have stood and where the Fallen would have come from, placing this stone almost at the middle point, closer toward the Fallen side of the conflict.

"This was you." He says as the realization finally hits him. His hands trace along the jagged lines on the rock. The energy that came free must have been powerful for it to leave such a mark. "I forget how old you are at times."

She jumps down beside him. "Sometimes I do too. Now," Lucy crouches behind the rock, as if taking cover from an unseen enemy, "imagine you're standing here. Behind enemy lines, no weapons, no allies, your shield depleted. To top it off, there's a Fallen Captain closing in. What do you do?"

"I summon my Golden Gun and shoot them?"

"No. You're saying that because you think that's the right answer." She stands up again and takes a few steps back. Arc Light starts dancing around her fingers, pulling a staff of lightning into existence between her hands. Lucile taps it twice against the ground, scattering lightning into the grass before she lunges at him, giving Zeke no time to react as it just barely, but deliberately, misses his head.

Ezekiel jumps back reflexively and calls to his own Light, a flaming blade now within his hand. He tosses it to her, but with a swift swipe from her staff it is defected into a tree that falls over from the resulting impact. Within moments another blade is with him, and again it doesn't reach the Hunter in full. His glide guides him downward, removing the advantage of elevation he held. The next swipe hits his feet, an unpleasant current of Arc running through him and as Lucy gets closer and closer, the third blade is deliberately tossed to the side to free his hand.

So, he tries. Closes his eyes and thinks of himself as a lone Hunter, battered and cornered and desperate. His hand pointed toward the sky, and the resulting flash would have been blinding if it had not been for his eyes that fluttered open with the same intensity. For the slightest moment everything seems clearer. Colors are brighter, his sight is shaper. He can make out the grin on Lucy's face, illuminated by the lightning that surrounded her still. He brings the gun downward and shoots a single, Solar shot before the Light gives way. Zeke lands on one knee in the grass, and looks triumphantly at the Ghost that was resurrecting Lucy.

Within moments she appears again, good as new. "Nice shooting. We'll make an acceptable Hunter out of you yet."

Still laughing Zeke replies: "Awfully bold of you to assume I want to be one of you.

"C'mon" she says, "let's go home. I'm buying you a drink."

"That, I'll accept."


	4. Heart-Bearer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The Dreadnaught was quieter these days. Oryx was gone, Crota lay long dead. Knights and Witches still guarded this place, but most everything stronger had disappeared back into the Ascendant Realm."
> 
> Two Guardians stumble across an odd figure in the Dreadnaught. Which, considering, is quite a feat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An idea inspired by scarletrebel 's dark future!au. That you should go read because its very very good. https://archiveofourown.org/works/13103952
> 
> The premise is that Lucile died, and as result of shady dealings with the Ahamkara, whatever remains of her is now trapped in the Hive overworld a-la-Toland. Alexandra, left on her own, made a whole lot of bad desicions.
> 
> So: Sad Times ft two random guardians I made up for the purpose of this story.

"It's a Titan... I think." 

  

The Warlock behind her stashes away his last bit of Wormspore. The Dreadnaught was quieter these days. Oryx was gone, Crota lay long dead. Knights and Witches still guarded this place, but most everything stronger had disappeared back into the Ascendant Realm. That's what Jace had summarized anyway, as the days he spent on the flagship were entirely without any champion of anyone jumping out to consume their light. He didn't mind the quiet one bit, though his teammate Valentina-7 insisted that it was 'diabolical' about once an hour.  

  

"You think." Jace states, his tone just condescending enough for Val to bite back. 

  

"You take a look at that and tell with certainty that's a Titan." She tosses him her rifle, knowing that the scope on both his hand canon and the shotgun he insisted on bringing to every mission would be virtually useless for recon work. With only a little misuse of magic Jace catches it, snapping it up to peer through its scope at the figure off in the distance. Details were hard to make out, with the portal to the Throne world backlighting the figure, but the hallmarks were all there; broad shouldered, a sturdy stance, something resembling a butt cape- mark that swayed with every movement. If Jace had to redefine 'Titan' in the dictionary that's what it would say. But the rest of the figure was so detrimentally  _not_  a Titan that he wasn't entirely sure. 

"Huh."  

The Titan -he had settled on calling whom or whatever they were a Titan for brevity's sake- carried a bone shield, much like the Hive Knights were able to summon, but somewhat smaller. They were half turned away from him, so no facial features could be seen, but a faint tinge of blue hair stuck out beneath something that looked like a helmet. Parts of armor were visible under the rocky-substance that covered the Titan from head to toe, dull metal reflecting back the ominous green light that permeated the dreadnaught.  

  

"See what I mean?" Val says, "Could it be a... y'know? I remember hearing something about new Hive from Mars. Old, powerful names being thrown around." 

  

"Nothing new should be running around here. Those on Mars had been frozen in."  

  

Her hands make grabby motions for the rifle, and Jace tosses it back. "That's not what I meant." She says, catching the gun with one hand and stowing it away on her back in one go. 

  

"We're definitely not looking at a Knight." He thinks aloud. "It could be a champion to Savathûn, maybe an Acolyte and Knight hybrid? Or something part way through undergoing a Worm growth?" 

  

"Then how do you explain the rest of-" she motions openly to the Titan, "that. I know you don't look too hard at enemies when you're shooting, but I've seen enough Hive to know when I see one and that  _thing_  isn't Hive. Not natively anyway." 

  

"I mistook an exploding Thrall for an Acolyte  _once_." 

  

"Three times." 

  

"Three times. I was distracted. Anyway," Jace says, and he summons his Ghost, "there's one quick way to find out what it is. Leo, pull Oversoul Edict out of the ship." His Ghost nods and transmats away. 

  

Valentina stares back in slight surprise from behind her helmet. "You still have that?" 

  

A moment later, surely enough, the gun appears in the Warlock's hands. The weapon seemed right at home within the Dreadnaught. "I wasn't in the Tower when the City fell, remember? Some of my old gear survived." 

  

Jace's Ghost chimes in. "I would like to state for the record that I think this is a horrible idea and you are going to get yourself killed." 

  

"Duly noted, Leo." 

  

"I would also like to state for the record that this is a terrible idea and you are going to get us both killed." Val says, pulling out the sniper again and jumping up to a higher vantage point, on one of the pillars just ahead. 

  

"I'm loving the vote of confidence, Val. Anyway. I'm going to shoot at the shield. If it's Hive the bullets will go through and we kill them. If they're not then, well, I've always been good at getting Ikora to forgive me. This can't be much harder." He jumps up to the pillar parallel to the one Val stands on, almost-but-not-quite reaching the top, making the slow descent so much more painful. 

  

"Nice." 

  

"Shut up." 

  

He takes a few steps back and tries again, finally making it to the vantage point. He looks down the sights and holds his breath for a moment, steadying the pulse rifle in his hands and pointedly ignoring the stones awkwardly jutting into his knee when he kneels down. It had been a while since Jace last used Oversoul, but it feels familiar in his hands. Compensate for the recoil from this distance all three shots should impact the shield. Through the sights he watched the figure for a moment longer and lines up the shot with the slight sway of movement. The breath he had been holding releases with the pull of the trigger and he watches all three bullets pierce through the stone.  

  

Three perfectly round, purple glowing bullet holes peer back at him. Three deafening 'clang's as the casings hit the ground, stopped by the Void Light shield that had been overgrown by the marrow.  

  

Three glowing eyes, two of them a warm orange, that seemed so strangely vacant for an Awoken, whereas the third stared straight at him, with green, cold, uncaring repose.  

  

"What, in Traveler's name, is that?" Val took the words right out of his mouth. 

  

The helmet was not really a helmet, Jace noted. It was, rather, more of the bone-rock, fashioned into something like horns or a crown. The figure carried a sword, and he found that it held a little too much resemblance with those wielded by the Hive princes.  

  

If Jace had to make a guess, he'd say that this had been an Awoken Titan at some point. He dreaded to think what it was now. And it was headed their way.  

  

The sound of a sniper shot echoes through the halls of the dreadnaught, and with practiced precision it tears through one of the eyes, just as his Ghost tags it with a name. 

 _"Alexandra, the_ _Heart-Bearer_ _."_  

The outcry that follow was the stuff of nightmares; guttural and deep and so oddly melancholic, not quite human and not quite like how Omnigul liked to scream. 

 _‘He knew her’_ , Jace realized. He had seen her a handful of times here and there- around the Tower, in strikes, he's sure they once punched each other to rez during the Crucible- he had always been good with faces. Jace counted it among his talents, though now he would rather have had her be a nameless face of unfortunate circumstance. 

  

"Stop!" He calls out. He shouldn't, they should just kill her here and now and he knows this. And yet... 

And another shot tears through the same spot, chipping away at the Titan's exterior. Blood trickles down out of the wound and he watches as it slowly heals up. Much slower than it should with a Ghost, but whatever combat data came through pointed to this being the effect of the Light. Which meant that something was still beneath all the metal and marrow. 

"Val, don't." He pleads, "I know her! I've met this Titan before." 

  

"This was your fucking plan, Jace." Valentina responds angrily, "I'm not ending up a Light snack at the end of that blade, just because you  _think_  that  _thing_  won't kill us."  

She discharges another shot, severing the newly healed eye again. With every moment the Titan draws nearer, and every new shot is blocked unbelievably fast by the Sentinel shield. Val switches the sniper for an auto rifle and throws a smoke bomb straight at the shield. A cloud of poison erupts around it, Valentina not wasting a second before she releases a hail of bullets to weaken it further. She tumbles back and jumps off the pillar to keep an even distance between herself and her target, the same way one would handle a Hunter with Quickfang in the Crucible. Jace readies his hand canon and follows suit after Val. He may not be shooting the Titan, but that also didn't mean that he was going to stand around waiting to find out whether or not she would remember him.  

The unexpected sizzle of an exploding thrall behind him, sends Jace flying forward in a momentary panic, which sends him into even more distress when he sees that he has landed  _close behind_  the Titan.  

Over the comms he can hear Valentina breathe out the words "Fucking hell."  

Wide eyed he watches the Titan's angered expression turn focused. She holds the shield to her back to block off Val's assault and turns her focus on him.  

Seeing her from so close, Jace wasn't sure whether to be intrigued or scared. He didn't get the time to make up his mind as the sword raised over her head.  

 The sword swung at him with incredible speed for its size. He dodges back from the first strike, barely so as it snatches the edge of his robes. Val was right. He didn't know the Titan wouldn't kill him. And if there was still Light or not, sacrificing himself for a  _maybe_  was not part of his ethics. She slashes with a wide arc that cuts through his shield, and the shot from his hand canon -even at such a close range- did little to deter his opponent. With an overhead strike she forces him back even further, using the momentary distraction to toss the shield at Val, who has to dodge away to avoid it nailing her in the head.  

The sword is now wielded with two hands, and Jace's blood runs cold as he feels the marrow wall against his back. His shotgun was running low, curtesy of him thinking he won't need it and using it all on Acolytes and Thrall. Its weight is comforting in his hands, and his aim is true, but it still was not enough to bring the Titan down.  

The sword is clutched with two hands over her shoulder, and out of habit Jace closes his eyes just before it's brought down on him.  

He silently hoped his Ghost would make it out unscathed.  

 

When a moment later he still was flesh and blood, a careful eye peeked to see what happened.  

Slowly the other opens too, greeted by the -much too close for comfort- edge of a blade, and a single Ghost that stood between it and his head. Its shell was worn and its Light faint, Jace could feel it. It didn't take a cryptarch to figure out it was hers. A carefully painted design, something with blues and white, was faded around the backside.  

  

"It's alright," the Ghost's voice is slow and soothing, "they didn't know, it's all going to be alright, Alexandra." Slowly the blade lowers, and the angered expression softens. He watched the scene before him slack jawed, it all changed so quickly. 

  

 _Bang_  

  

Another sniper shot tears through the Titan, lodging stuck in the wall behind Jace. The eyes flare up again, turning violently toward where Val was perched. Valentina readies another shot, and after a breath, shoots, barely missing the Ghost as it puts itself between her and the Titan. 

"Stop!" It called out, "Please! She isn't herself, she can't help it." Quickly it turns back to Alexandra, again lowering its tone, "Look. See? It's alright. I'm fixing you right up." The Light emanating from it was weak as it healed the wounds. Not quite like how it was after the Red War. This was... exhaustion. Where the loss of the Light was suppression, Jace figured that the scarcity of Light in the Dreadnaught, coupled with an unknown amount of time spent here was tiring the poor Ghost out. After a moment of silence, the Titan sheathes the blade on her back, and calls a new shield to her, just as covered in marrow as the previous had been.   

When she finally speaks, it's off putting. Every word echoes from within, like layers to her voice; "Don't treat me like a child."  

  

"I'm not." Her Ghost replies. "You were out of it again." 

  

"Did I...?" 

  

"No."  

And with that finality the conversation seemed over. 

  

She doesn't pay him or Val any mind as she walks- though 'lumbers' also wasn't inaccurate- back toward the portal where she first stood. It flickers to life once within 30 feet of the Titan, casting the room in sickly green light.  

  

"Ghost?" Jace can't do anything but watch as countless Thrall pour out. "What... happened to her?" She raises the sword off her back once again, cutting down into the unending horde.  

  

"She needs to grow strong enough to become Ascendant." It says, as if it's the most logical thing in the galaxy. "This is an unfortunate side-effect of that. The sword kind of just... appeared, one day. It talks to her sometimes, pushes her to keep growing stronger." 

  

When Val approaches, the gun is still in her hands. "And killing Guardians makes her stronger, is that it?" 

  

"It only happened once! In self-defense. They were going to kill her. But, I can bring her back now. She's not dangerous just-"  

  

"Just what? Murder-happy sometimes?" Valentina raises her gun at the Ghost. "One shot and I could take you out, Ghost. Another and she would lie dead on the ground as a Thrall snack." It quiets down, though its shell is still skittishly rotates around. Val continues: "I can make a pretty good guess as to what happened. But you're going to need to tell me why." The gun doesn't waver.  

  

"Because we would both go to the ends of the galaxy for those we love." 

  

*** 

  

 _"Take their Light."_  

 _"Feed."_  

 _"Oh, our poor_ _Heartkeeper_ _, how lonely she must be."_  

 _"We hunger."_  

  

She is not sure which voices are her own thoughts and which are the sword's. Not that it mattered anymore. 

Bone clashes on bone as the Thrall crumble to the floor. They were weak.  

  

 _"We are weak."_  

 _"The Sword demands it."_  

 _"We long to hear her voice."_  

 _"Only Ascendant may pass."_  

  

She was weak. But stronger than the Thrall and their pathetic claws.  

Her arm reels back from the impact of the sword hitting a Knight's shield. She moves around it, and effortlessly she pulls her sword out of its torso when his clatters to the marrowed ground.  

  

 _"_ **_S_ ** _he could elevate us."_  

 _"We will hold her in our arms again."_  

 _"There is only comfort in death."_  

 _"Weakling."_  

  

Stronger than the Knights and their brash tactics.  

Wizards laugh as they surround her in a triangle. The ground glows green beneath her feet and she rolls away, her shield already raised when the eye of the summoned Ogre looks her way.  

The laughter is cut short and their bodies gracelessly fall to the stone. A loud t _hud_  reverberates through the room as she plunges the sword into the Ogre's eye.  

  

 _"Forget her."_  

 _"We must become stronger."_  

 _"It would have opened for any other."_  

 _"Would she be proud of what we have become?"_  

  

Stronger than the Wizards thought they were clever and cleverer than the Ogre believed itself to be strong.  

She cries out in anger when the portal still pushes her away. 

  

 _"Again!"_  

 _"They will not let us pass."_  

 _"Take their strength."_   

 _"We are nothing."_  

  

The voices are drowned out by the screaming now. Hands pounding at the invisible force, more and more desperate with each passing moment. The green light dims and fades, the portal closed once again. Alone, once again. 

  

 _"I just want to see her again."_  

  

That one is her own. 


	5. o Lightbearer of mine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never ask for anything! Never for anything, and especially from those who are stronger than you. They'll make the offer themselves, and give everything themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set before the Ahamkara Hunt/during the Red War.
> 
> A young Hunter ignores her mentor's advice and seeks knowledge through other means.

The distant sound of Venus' flora and fauna (with the occasional hint of Vex lurking around) were slowly overtaken by the rhythmic dripping of water from the stone ceiling above. In the darkness ahead, a multitude of eyes lit up, a bright and cold yellow color. For one step she hesitates, quickly pushing ahead in fear of showing weakness. This was not the first time she would stand before the beast, but it did little to soothe her worries. Which was quite a feat, considering very few things worried Lucile.  

  

The Ahamkara looms over her in its cave, the sunlight lost far behind her. 

  

_We meet again,_ _Lightbearer_ _. Did you enjoy our gift? We know we enjoyed yours. Do you come seeking more knowledge, perhaps? Or is it something different this time? Tell us what you desire and we will offer you a_ _price._  

 

She forces herself to look it in the eyes. "I need to learn how to use the Void Light." Keep it clear and simple. No room for misinterpretation. 

  

_Ah, but do you not have your mentor? Will he not teach you the ways of the vacuum beneath the known? Unless, of course, he does not believe you to be capable. The void has brought ruin to many. Perhaps he believes you would count among_ _the sheep_ _._  

  

The words stung a little, but pride had no place here. All it would do was raise the price. "Osiris wouldn't teach me, and the meditations aren't helping. The weak would have stopped there." Her hands clasp behind her back in an attempt to stop the shaking. Lucy repeats the request: "I need to learn how to use the Void Light. Name your price." 

  

_Oh,_ _so eager. We had hoped for a_ _friendl_ _y talk, some_ _company._   

The dragon sighed dramatically 

_Very well. We cannot give you the Light itself, but we can impart the knowledge needed to grasp it onto you. In exchange, we ask for but a small price. All that you will lose will become_ _ours._  

  

Her brow furrows at the request. "How do you mean?" 

  

_As we said, all that you lose becomes ours. Lost memories, forgotten wounds, the sound of cheering when battle fades, the smell of rain and ash, maybe the material if we desire so. Nothing you would miss, simply things to keep us company in our lonely home, oh child of the_ _Light._  

  

"That is all?" 

  

_That is all_  

  

"No hidden loop holes, no request for my Light?" 

  

_None, soon-to-be-Void-_ _Wielder._  

The last words were spoken with amusement.  

  

  

*** 

  

Once outside Lucy calls the new Light to her, marveling at how different it felt. Her hand pulls back, and she watches the vortex grenade roll around for a moment before she lobs it at the nearest open patch of space. She can't help but smile triumphantly. She goes for a dive in her excitement, following instinct, and genuine laughter escapes her as her now invisible hand passes before her unseen eyes.  

  

"It worked! Milo, it worked!" She calls out excitedly.  

  

"I can see that." Her Ghost says cautiously. "But, I don't know. I don't trust it." 

  

"If I wanted to be criticized I'd ask Ezekiel." Lucy retorts. "Now let's see what this baby can do."  

  

The hike back is entirely too long. The Light dances at her fingertips in anticipation, immediately at attention once she spots a group of Goblins down in the valley.  

"Ready?" Milo asks. But when he looks back at her, Lucy has already rolled forward and disappeared between the grass. 

Unseen she approaches them, jumping out of the invisibility into the air. The Light gathers in her hands, already moving before she knows what they are doing. The searing cold in her chest as the bowstring draws back, the arrow bright in its own way and time seems to go on forever as the cold rapidly spreads. It branches out from within, surging through her arms to the tips of her fingers where armor meets Light, seeping into the bow. The arrow grows brighter and brighter until finally Lucile sees nothing anymore. And hears nothing, feels nothing. She did not exist as whatever remains of her body fell to the ground.  

  

Many eyed monsters with great blackened wings, crawling around the darkness; a pang of guilt as blue shining eyes dim for the last time; a bright smile that would have made her heart skip a beat had she had one in this moment of not-life. 

  

The images are hard to grasp as they slip away into the void.  

And then she's back, looking through the eye of her Ghost. 

 

 

*** 

_Many, Many Years Later_

 

Everything was so different now, and yet Lucile found that the path to where the Ahamkara resided and the fluttering nervousness in her stomach were still much the same. The tangled overgrowth fell away with the swipe of her knife, crushed beneath her boots as her Ghost pleaded for them to turn back. 

  

"I don't like this idea. There are too many ways it could go wrong. Even being here is a danger right now." 

  

Milo had been hesitant the whole way over, just as he had been the first two times Lucy came to bargain with the wish-dragon. The loss of the Light had made him skittish about most things, but Lucy experienced this new-found mortality as oddly freeing. If she died it would be done. The world would stop for her and if the Traveler was indeed something akin to a god she would be up there with the big ball looking down at the City. But she was not dead yet and in dire need of some fire power, so, she pressed on.  

  

"If it doesn't work, I'll wait here for you to get the ship." 

  

"I'm more afraid of it  _working_." He says. The last of the branches falls to the ground and the mouth of the dragon's cave looms over her. She hadn't been back here since the years of the Ahamkara hunts. "We still don't know the extent of the price of our last deal, and who knows what it would ask for now?" 

  

With a familiar tremble her hand runs over her left arm, and though they weren't with her, Lucy could feel the shadow of the bones lingering, pulling her into the proverbial lion's den. "It can ask for anything it wants."  

  

*** 

  

Its skull -long rotten and bare- still lay exactly where she left it. Empty eye sockets stared back at her; somehow no less piercing than when the creature had been alive and Lucy's first instinct was to run away.  

  

There was... something in the air. Not tension. Something else. Less metaphorical and more physical. Like a static, or smothering heat but so much colder, felt even through her helmet. She approaches where the feeling is the strongest and sits down, cross-legged. Even before she fully closes her eyes she can hear the familiar chuckle in the back of her mind. 

  

_Oh,_ _hoho! Who have we here? Finally come by to greet an old friend,_ _Lightbearer? Though we suppose that title belongs to the void now. Your Light has faded, though we sense something else... a_ _heart?_  

It's howling laughter echoes through the cave. 

  

_Heart-Keeper it is, then. We hope you've come to_ _apologize_ _for interrupting so rudely last time. It is harder to see the weaves of fate from the beyond, and everything here is so dull. The tales the bones whisper to us are entertaining at times, but they lack the satisfaction of the smell of blood and gunpowder, the sound of iron shattered by_ _marrow_. 

It was chattier than she remembered.  

_But come, come! Our loneliness is not your concern, Heart-Keeper. Much as we had hoped, we know you have not come simply to talk. You wonder if we have the Light you've lost, do you_ _not?_  

  

"Do you?" 

  

_Alas we cannot return it fully to you. Your Traveler's Light is a fickle thing. Where does it all come from, we_ _wonder?_  

  

"So, you don't have my Light, and this trip was a waste of time." She moves to stand in the dream, but the cold pulls her back down. 

  

_Ah-a-a, we did not say that. We cannot return it_ ** _fully_** _. However, as per our deal: all that you lose will become ours; be it your soul or your Light. Whatever resided in you when the Red Emperor tore it away is here, safely with us. But tell us, o Heart-Keeper, why would we part with it? We have everything we desire, everything of yours. What will you bring out to tempt us in exchange for our_ _Light?_  

  

Her soul and her Light. The words resounded through her. Nothing. Aside from that, Lucile had nothing. She often cursed her younger self for acting irrationally; never stopping to think before rushing forward, but now she wished for time-travel to be possible solely to hit young-Lucy on the back of her head.  

"I-" her mind raced through the possibilities, "I can offer a favor? Retrieve any knowledge you want once this is over, any item. Return the bones I took." 

 

Again, it roars with laughter. 

_What use do the dead have with the material, can you riddle us that? Perhaps had we still our body, we might have agreed, but it seems your prior blood-lust has sunk its teeth into your throat. No, you will have to offer more than that, o_   ** _Heart_ -** _Keeper._  

 

Suddenly she understood what it was asking for. The beast truly intended to take everything from her. And for a moment Lucy has to consider it. Everyone was putting everything on the line, civilians and Guardians alike. Why should she sacrifice any less?   

Lucile can already feel the coldness coalesce deep inside her chest and decides to take her own advice to stop and think.   

It was asking for her heart. For the gaze that seems to shine a little brighter when meant for her and soft whispered words in the morning after hands grasping at her thighs during the night. The hot breath blown against her neck and lingering touches and stolen kisses and smiles that made the world lighter. 

 

That was what it wanted to take from her, but she still had to wonder why? In the moment of silence between the proposal and her answer the only thing she can think of is that it wants her heart because it was not as easily lost as her life. 

She wants to say yes. She truly does, but this was never supposed to be a choice to begin with. 

 

"I cannot give it up. Take whatever else you want from me."

 

_Ah, but in love and war, sentimentality is but a weakness Heart-Keeper. Would you not rather carry the depths of_ _the universe within your soul? Would you not rather wield_ _vengeance_ _and_ _its_ _many fangs? Tenderness is torn so easily. Marrow will withstand the_ _storm._  

 

"My answer won't change." 

 

It sighed dramatically.  

_Very well, very well. Then set your pride aside, soon-to-be-once-again-_ _Lightbearer; even if your remorse is hollow as our skull. Then we will return it to_ _you._  

 

"That is all? An apology? No hidden meanings, no unexpected cost. _Just_  an apology?" 

  

_We will have it all sooner or later, do not worry on account of our dues, Heart-Keeper-Still. They will come when death devours it. We have already waited so long; what are a few lifetimes to those outside of time's_ _touch?_  

  

The dragon was right, of course. Her apology wasn't entirely sincere.  

"I am sorry for killing you and desecrating your corpse."  

All Lucy really regretted was not dumping its decaying body into the sulfurous pits when she first got the chance. 

  

A satisfied sigh rings through her mind. 

_Well now, was that so_ _hard?_  

The cold around her chest grows stronger and stronger, forcing Lucy out of the meditation. Hands push back at the damp floor, barely catching herself as her eyes flutter open. Instinctively a hand reaches up to her chest, clawing at where the pain was centered and ragged breaths echo throughout the cave. When it finally fades her sight is blurred, slowly coming into focus on the beast before her. The static of its presence was gone, and the alien cold inside her replaced by one that was dreadfully familiar.  

  

_Take your Light and tear the Dominus from his play-pretend throne. Bare your teeth on those that would see themselves as gods and feast. Still your hunger for life so that when you return to us by the hands of death, we, too, may find_ _satiation._  

  

After that, all she hears is the slow, methodical dripping of water down the stalactites and the rapid beating of her own heart. The cold had faded, but Lucy already knew what the wish-dragon had returned to her. She opens her hand and calls to the Light, a hollow laugh cast out at the swirling of purple between her fingers.  

  

"I suppose I deserve that." 

No reply.  


	6. Death has passed us by this night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Festival of the Lost is a time of remembrance, even if we do not want to remember what was lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A thing for FOTL I just had to get out of my system, because yes Cayde is gone but he's not the only Guardian we learned was dead since last year.  
> I am still working on my other fics, slowly but surely, if you happen to be on the lookout for those.
> 
> Pouring one out for Saint-14 fellas

Lucile is alone in the Forest, quietly concentrating on the device in her hands, tracing whatever signal of Osiris' presence she was able to find. No one had heard from him since the nightmare took over, but Lucy wasn't  worried. Much. Knowing her mentor, chances were he was too busy trying to find out how and why this corruption rooted in the Forest to remember to let everyone know he was still alive. The ominous stomping of the undying Knight looms around in the darkness ahead, and for a second she stops to listen until the footsteps grow softer with distance. It had found her a few times already and didn't seem fazed in the slightest no matter how many shots of her Golden Gun hit it between the eyes.   
She runs some more tracking programs with every new piece of data she finds, and the tablet calibrates, flipping and twisting the cubes that hovered above it around. While it does so the unlit candle turns over in her hand, rolling from her palm to the tip of her fingers, almost, but not quite, rolling off.    
  
The Festival of the Lost had always been an odd time for Lucy. First she didn't have anyone to light a candle for, and after Osiris disappeared she refused to do so because she believed him not to be dead, no matter what anyone said.    
A part of her was still angry for being right, though she wasn't so sure if she was angry at Osiris for leaving or herself for still caring after so long.    
  
With a chime the tablet lets her know the target has been found. The markings on the blocks shine a bright golden-yellow light. Their warmth feels strange against her metal arm and even after she releases them to form a portal, it remained. Some poetic meaning and inspiration of hope could be found in it if Lucy tried, but she didn't linger on it for long as she steps through.    
  
The other side is almost darker than the starting point had been. Globs of something that looked like Taken radiation cover the ground, though they resembled in appearance only, as her feet stepped through it like smoke. A pale simulation of something the Forest didn't know how to recreate. Like how it substituted Light with whatever corresponding energy was closest to it. The grip on her gun tightens ever so slightly with every careful step.   
  
It takes some time to find Osiris and when she does he is all but surrounded by Hive. His Light rings out, driving back the darkness for a moment before it slithers back and the solar power resonates with her own. The smile on her face falters after but a moment. Lucy's eyes close in a tired sigh, and open ablaze with fire as the golden gun comes to life in her hand.    
  
She doesn't bother to aim as the hordes flock toward the sound of her Light ringing out. Each shot leaves behind a trail of embers and dust, a dozen thrall taken with every bullet she fires. A Knight approaches from her left but is quickly felled by a sword protruding through its head.    
Osiris had finally noticed her it seemed.    
She quickly returns the favor when the last of her bullets pierces a Wizard through the heart- if they had one, of course. Either way, it went up in smoke.    
  
It is quiet in the aftermath of battle, but as usual, Sagira didn't let it be so for long.   
"Lucy! Great, now that you're here, we could really use a second set of eyes."    
  
"We do not." Osiris immediately gets back to his work. "I simply need more time."   
  
"Yeah, I missed you too, Osiris."   
  
"I do not mean to be rude but I have little time, Lulu. Whatever it is I am sure Ikora can handle it." He opens a portal and steps through. Without hesitation Lucy follows into more darkness. It is pitch black, save for Sagira's light, that shines off into the unending distance of the Forest. The echo of heavy footfalls- familiar ones, unfortunately- seem to come from an unknown direction. She feels safer with him around, but the way her bullets glanced off the Knight was cause enough to assume the Forest would not let her kill it.   
  
"I didn't waste hours searching for you for nothing. The festival of the lost is going on right now."   
  
"Yes. I figured there was a reason for a dozen cryptarch-clad Guardians running around unstable simulations in complete darkness."   
  
"Well I, for one, am very glad to see you, Lucy." Sagira says. "All this darkness is awful for my mood. I haven't seen simulated daylight in weeks!"    
  
Lucy smiles despite herself. "Good thing I'm here to help, then." She turns back to Osiris. "But I have something for you first." The candle appears in her hands again.    
  
He barely spares it a glance. "I do not need-"   
  
"It's for Saint."   
With a few taps she opens a portal to the pre-programmed destination. Expectantly she watches Osiris contemplate, though useless it will be. He will come, she knows this. On nothing else but the principle that he feels he owes it to Saint.   
After a moment he brushes past her, and again she follows in his steps.   
Alex found this place some time ago. She was also the one to give Lucy this idea. Together they lit candles in honor of those they've lost. Lucy for what few acquaintances she never saw around the Tower again after the Red War, and Alex for the many friends that met the same fate. And she then lit a second candle for Cayde, and a third one, inscribed with the words "valiant heart, unwavering resolve." Carefully, with the edge of her knife, Lucy had carved the same words into the candle in her hands.   
  
There is still some light in this simulation. Though the corruption still crept at the edges of the horizon, it seemed even the darkness was not keen to disturb the shrine. Side by side they stand before the closed gate.     
  
"All this time. You were so close by all this time, old friend." A careful hand reaches out to the door.    
  
"It wasn't your fault."   
  
"No, it was not. But it is... difficult not to feel responsible."   
  
A pulse of Light flows down his arm into the door. It reacts to the energy, slowly opening up. Their steps echo against the angular room, bouncing off the countless Vex carcasses. At the far end Saint's body still hoveres, a serene sleep. They come to a halt a few feet away, and Lucy holds the candle out to Osiris.    
He cups his hands together and breathes fire into them, a small flame now dancing in his palm. All unnecessary theatrics, but perhaps this moment called for a bit of flair. Carefully he lights it, and using a Vex lens as plate, Lucy places it on the ground. It flickers softly, like a heart-beat.    
  
Osiris takes a step forward, his hands solemnly behind his back, head still held high. "This was not my intention when I left the City in your hands. I cannot apologize for leaving, I would do it again given the choice, but I can apologize to you."   
  
They stand in silence for a while longer before Lucy comes up behind him and places her hand on his shoulder. With a slight nod she signals toward the door, and together they leave, the candle still burning.


	7. No Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The call of temptation is different for everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off a the destcember prompt for the Drifter. Uploaded here in anticipation for season of the Drifter before I :3c get to make bad desicions

It's well past midnight when she ducks under the grate into the Drifter's dingy hallway, her footsteps echoing across the empty Bazaar. Lucile finally reset her infamy and had come to claim her spoils. A Hunter passes her by, bidding the Drifter a -somewhat bitter- good evening, and soon enough the two of them are left alone.    
  
He hands a sniper rifle as reward. "Sharp shootin' out there. Never seen someone take down a Hydra like that. Never knew their eye came off that way, either. And the way you lit up that Primeval Servitor? I could feel the Light off'a that all the way from my ship. That Golden Gun of yours is somethin' else, Sister. Somethin' else, alright."   
  
Lucy overturns it in her hands, not looking at the Drifter as she replies: "If this is your way of flirting, I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree."   
  
He lets out a chuckle. "Nothin' like that, nothin' to worry. I've seen that girl of yours, runnin' around with those puppy eyes. She don't like me much. No, just complimentin' a good shot when I see one, Sister."    
  
"You don't get to call me that."   
  
"Ooh, did I touch a nerve? The Hero and I are thick as thieves-"   
  
"What Zeke does to deal with his grief is not my concern."   
  
"Hey now, what's with all the assumptions? Just sayin', he's part of my crew. Makes us like extended family. Family that's going on the hunt soon. We could use that aim of yours."    
  
She knows his type. The Talkers. Alluring promises, charming words- Lucy has seen this song and dance before. "I'm not interested."    
  
Best to walk away quickly before it all started to sound good. She's already past the gate when he calls after her.   
  
"Tell you what. You take that pretty heart you found, and see it through to the end, all the way. Get your hands on a nice little reward, too. Let's talk again then."   
  
She pauses, wanting to take a step forward, to walk away. But it was too late. She should have taken the gun and left.   
  
Lucile turns to him, grey eyes looking back at grey eyes. The movement's brief, but unmistakable behind the grate. A knowing smirk smoothly turns back into his well-known, disarming smile. "How did you know I took it."   
  
"You kidding me, Luca? Think I don't know every little thing that happens in my game? Besides," he taps his nose twice, "could smell it coming from a mile away, I could."   
  
"And what if I say no."   
  
"This guy comes after Lightbearers like us. He won't care what you answer. I'm just here to make sure you get a fair shot."   
  
She takes a step forward. "We're nothing alike."   
  
"No need to play coy with me, Luca, 'course we are. Not afraid to get our hands down and dirty to do something new. That pretty metal arm of yours ain't all human tech, afterall. Pretty nifty what you did with the Vex tech. Bet your old man would be proud."   
  
He's pushing her buttons, trying to get a rise out of her, she knows this, but Lucy can't help but push back.   
"I did what I had to."   
  
"That what you tell yourself 'bout the Wishes too, Luca?"   
  
She is genuinely taken aback for a moment. And worse, Lucy realized she was at a strong disadvantage. Knowledge was often her greatest ally, and she didn't actually  _ know _ much about the Drifter, but he seemed to know too much about her.   
  
The moment of silence stretches on. Drifter lowers his voice, something playful though his grin didn't reach his eyes. "Good as your aim is with that blazin' Light, the guy we're fighting can't be outshot. Not one on one, anyway."    
He steps away from the grate, moving back to his spot by the vending machine.   
"But, I think I've said enough for tonight. See you back in Gambit, Sister."   
  
  



End file.
